During the PhD in Economics at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), the computer scientist Antonio Marcos Marcon He encountered a seemingly simple challenge, but one that revealed a complex gap: how to truly know where innovation is in Brazil?
Photo: Alex Calisto/SEC-Unicamp
Although the answer existed, it was scattered across dozens of non-integrated government databases. It was like having the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle scattered in different rooms of the same house. The need to organize this information gave rise to... Opensense, a platform that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to transform open data into accurate snapshots of the innovation ecosystems of all 5.570 Brazilian municipalities.
The project began in 2020, in Laboratory of Science and Technology Policy at UnicampAcademic research led to the registration of a patent and attracted initial interest from the government sector. "We mine open data from the entire Brazilian public system and, using artificial intelligence, recombine the information and connect it," explains Marcon, CEO of the startup.
In 2024, the company grew by 80% and projects to repeat that rate in 2025. Its clients include the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Sebrae, the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI), the University of São Paulo (USP), the State University of São Paulo (Unesp), Unicamp, and large companies such as Natura.
Incubated at the São José dos Campos Technology Park since 2021, the startup benefited from... support do Innovative Research in Small Business Program (PIPE), from FAPESP. His career has earned him awards such as the Fiesp Acelera Startup 2022, in the category Smart Cities, and the InovAtiva 2023 Highlight Award in Government Solutions.
Photo: Ayrton Vignola/Fiesp
Ecosystem sensor
The platform functions as a sensor for innovation ecosystems. To do this, it collects open data from ministries such as the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as agencies like the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and federal and state funding agencies.
Subsequently, using AI, the tool interconnects this information based on official economic and scientific protocols. The result is a robust compilation that allows for the improvement of public policies and competitive business analyses.
As an example, Marcon demonstrates the presence of remote municipalities on the platform, such as Pacaraima (RR), on the border with Venezuela. This location has three startups, a lean government system, some higher education courses, and no registered patents. In São Paulo, on the other hand, the platform identifies thousands of environments, such as technology parks, incubators, and leading universities, revealing how these elements relate to each other.
We were able to offer dashboards "With indicators by region, reaching the level of the company's CNPJ (Brazilian tax ID), this allows for competitiveness analyses for innovation managers," explains Marcon.
Challenges and asymmetries
Regional differences in Brazil reveal a country that seeks to consolidate itself as an innovation hub, but faces structural challenges. According to the 2024 Global Innovation Index of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Brazil ranks 50th out of 133 economies, leading in Latin America.Opensense is a response to the urgent need to interconnect knowledge repositories and expand collaboration between researchers, companies, and managers.“Marcon states.
According to the INPI's 2024 Brazil Innovation and Development Index, the Southeast and South regions concentrate national innovation, occupying seven of the top eight positions in the state ranking. The Brazilian ecosystem is home to more than 12 active startups and 54 hubs Innovation, according to Abstartups. In 2024, the sector registered approximately US$ 2 billion in investment across 386 rounds, indicating a gradual recovery after years of contraction.
Practical applications
The platform is already being used by Sebrae in Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso to map the maturity of local ecosystems. Another relevant project is the mapping of the Brazilian Defense Industrial Base for ABDI, with a launch planned for 2026.
Photo: Lula Lopes/ABDI
Furthermore, the tool allows monitoring the performance of specific sectors. Through the economic, geopatent, and geoscience radars, it is possible to visualize unusual data: from alligator farming centers (intensive in Minas Gerais, Alagoas, and Mato Grosso) to innovations in weaponry, such as an iris-based security device developed in Valença (RJ).
Technology also optimizes processes: according to Marcon, the development time for new observatories can be reduced by more than 70%. A project that would take a year to implement can be completed in 60 days.
Democratic data and internationalization
The name Opensense reflects the solution's purpose: "sense" for monitoring and "open" for the commitment to the democratization of information. The technology is prepared to operate internationally, following protocols such as the Statistical Nomenclature of Economic Activities (NACE) of the European Union and the International Patent Classification (IPC).
“We are evaluating routes for internationalization, especially in countries with a mature open data culture, such as Portugal, Spain, Estonia, and the United Kingdom. In Latin America, Uruguay and Chile are potential markets,” projects the CEO.
According to the researcher, Opensense fills a gap by integrating econometric and scientific analyses. "In a country of continental dimensions, Having accurate information about each local ecosystem can be the difference between generic policies and surgical interventions."This allows managers and companies to position themselves with strategic clarity," he assesses.
